Here is a look at the horses in the Belmont field:

1. Big Brown

Trainer: Rick Dutrow

Jockey: Kent Desormeaux

Odds: 2-5

The undefeated superstar smashes overmatched opponents the way 21-year-old Mike Tyson knocked out stiffs in the first round. Has tactical speed and instant acceleration, and 1 1/2 miles should be no problem. Neither should the quarter crack that caused a brief scare. Barring injury or a horrific trip, Big Brown should have the 12th Triple Crown locked up at the three-sixteenths pole as the crowd goes berserk. At 2-5, you can't bet him, but I wouldn't bet against him.

2. GUADALCANAL

Trainer: Fred Seitz

Jockey: Javier Castellano

Odds: 50-1

Who is Guadalcanal and why will he be in the gate next to Big Brown? This colt is 0-for-5 lifetime, but he did run 1 1/2 miles May 23, losing by a nose in a maiden race on turf at Churchill Downs. Here's Dan Liebman, editor of The Blood-Horse, on Kentucky-based owner-trainer

Fred Seitz: "He's usually a very sensible guy." Guadalcanal had better not break to his left and bother Big Brown, or Seitz will go from eccentric stabber to villain.

3. MACHO AGAIN

Trainer: Dallas Stewart

Jockey: Garrett Gomez

Odds: 20-1

Showed surprising punch to rally for second in the Preakness, so his odds probably will be lower than they should be. Somebody had to be second, and he still strikes me as a sprinter/miler rather than a distance horse.

4. DENIS OF CORK

Trainer: David Carroll

Jockey: Robby Albarado

Odds: 12-1

Unless something weird happens to Big Brown, I give this colt no chance of winning, but he's my preferred exacta play underneath the favorite. Albarado is a very sharp rider who won stakes at Belmont with Horses of the Year Mineshaft and Curlin. I can see Denis getting up for second late, barely noticed as the coronation begins.

5. CASINO DRIVE

Trainer: Kazuo Fujisawa

Jockey: Edgar Prado

Odds: 7-2

The buzz is that he's the one who could give Big Brown problems. He's raced only twice, winning both easily, but hasn't faced a good horse. His dam, Better Than Honour, produced the last two Belmont winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches, and what are the odds on three in a row? Has been training in an unorthodox manner, but his Japanese connections say they're pleased. Will be overbet, and I'll try to beat him.

6. DA' TARA

Trainer: Nick Zito

Jockey: Alan Garcia

Odds: 30-1

He was second after setting the pace in a minor stakes at Pimlico on Preakness Day. That was his career highlight, because he's 1-for-7. Might be part of the pace for a mile or so, but that will be it.

7. TALE OF EKATI

Trainer: Barclay Tagg

Jockey: Eibar Coa

Odds: 20-1

Tagg's barn is hot, and this colt won a weak Wood Memorial, so don't be surprised if he hits the board. He's 2-for-2 at Belmont, a record no one else in the field can match, so include him in the second, third and fourth slots on exotics tickets.

8. ANAK NAKAL

Trainer: Nick Zito

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Odds: 30-1

He's 0-for-4 as a 3-year-old, beaten 44-plus lengths, so he's the Bizarro World version of Big Brown. How anyone could put money on him is beyond me.

9. READY'S ECHO

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

Odds: 30-1

Hasn't won beyond 7 furlongs and he was 6-plus lengths behind Casino Drive in the Peter Pan. Nobody's sharper than Pletcher, but this guy has run only four times, so the Belmont looks like a major reach.

10. ICABAD CRANE

Trainer: Graham Motion

Jockey: Jeremy Rose

Odds: 20-1

Ran creditably for third in the Preakness and might have been second if not for traffic problems on the far turn. Gained 1-plus lengths in the final furlong, but only because Big Brown was taken in hand for the last sixteenth of a mile. Not impossible for third, and if he maxes out he could be second.